


Late

by glassgoblin



Series: Carol's Word-A-Day Calendar [168]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-29 15:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5132033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassgoblin/pseuds/glassgoblin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set immediately after the herd is dealt with at Alexandria (AU); Carol and Daryl talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late

“When did it all fall apart?” Daryl sighed, kicking the side of the steps. “Every single time it seems like we found a place to be safe, it all goes to shit.”

Carol watched him, thin lipped, her face still a mess from the earlier attack. She had rubbed at the blood she used to draw the letter on her forehead, but she could still feel a tackiness on her skin. There just wasn’t time to stop to do anything about it. Between the attack from the people who came over the walls, and through the walls, to the walkers who came when attracted by the horn it had been a non-stop day. Her only solace was that most of their people had returned; Daryl had returned with Sash and Abraham as soon as they had gotten the other part of the herd to their pre-planned destination, and Carol was sure they had come home as quickly as they could because they beat most of the other walkers to Alexandria.

He stared at her, wondering at her silence. “Not going to say you told me so?”

She shook her head, “No. I’m just sorry.”

“About what?” Daryl squinted, unsure of where she was going with her comment.

“That you seem to be losing hope.” Carol shrugged, “I think I lost any hope I had long before we got here. When we were in Atlanta, you still had some, and then after Beth? I thought that when we got here and you started working with Aaron that you found a reason to hope for the future again, and I’m sorry that you seem to be losing it.”

Daryl was quiet for several moments, “I’m just tired.” He looked away from her, watching as people continued picking up the dead that were still littered around their street. “I’m tired of always fighting. Always losing people who’ve become friends. Always running from danger to another place only for the danger to follow.”

“It doesn’t follow, it’s everywhere now. We just don’t always see it until it’s too late.” Carol reached out to touch his elbow, “We can’t stop fighting though.”

“I know.” He snorted, “I just want to pretend that we can take more than five minutes before going back out there to look for survivors. We still have people missing; Glenn is still out there. Maggie can’t go out alone.”

Carol nodded, not letting go of his arm yet. “I know.”


End file.
